James tarbotton armstrong and axel orling



(NoModeL) Y J. T.- ARMSTRONG 8z'A. ORLING.

ELECTRIC GAS LIGHTER. No. 577,279.- Patented Feb. 16, 1897.

v 41 -1 I lail'wwfin nflV////// j 1b INVENTO s UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

JAMES TARBOTTON ARMSTRONG AND AXEL ORLING, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

ELECTRIC GAS-LIGHTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 577,279, dated February16, 1897.

Application filed November 19, 1896. Serial No. 612,695. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, JAMES TARBOTTONARMSTRONG and AXEL OELING, of 64 Ald ersgate Street, in the city ofLondon, in the Kingdom of England, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Electric Gas Lighters and Extinguishers, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to electricallyoperated gas-lighters in which asolenoid or electromagnet is utilized to lift a soft-iron valvecontained within it when the said solenoid or electromagnet is energizedby the passage of a current. Included in the circuit containing thissolenoid or electromagnet is a suitable resistance situated near theburner, which the said current heats sufficiently to enable it to ignitethe gas when the circuit is established.

Our improvements refer to the means of regulating the opening andclosing of the gas-valve, which is effected by applying a permanentmagnet to an extension-rod or spindle of brass or other non-magneticmaterial attached to the valve. This permanent magnet is so applied tothe said spindle as to .be attracted or repelled, if a bar-magnet isdirection so as to prevent it from falling back to its seat with theValve and its spindle when the circuit is interrupted, but when saidpermanent magnet is caused.- to move in the opposite direction by virtueof the reversal of the direction of the current and the consequentchange of polarity in the solenoid or electromagnet the valve is allowedto drop down on its seat as its permanent magnet having been deflectedso as. to clear all obstruct-ion to its descent.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation ofour improved electric gas lighter and extinguisher. Fig. 2 is a planview of the same; Fig. 3, a vertical central section; Fig. 4, ahorizontal section on line 4 4:, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detail elevationshowing the permanent magnet in its second or lifting position, and Fig.6 is a vertical central section of a modified construction ofourimproved electric gas lighter and extinguisher.

Similar letters and figures of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings, A is a solenoid or electromagnet the coil ofwhich is wound with insulated wire and which has a threaded socket b andan axial bore for receiving a soft-iron core, which forms the gas-supplyvalve 0. This valve is provided at its upper end with a spindle d, therecessed upper end of which receives a permanent magnet e, that ispivoted so as to be capable of swinging on the pivot f.

The magnet e is made curved or V- shaped and has a longer tapering polel and a shorter rounded-off pole 2, the longer pole 1 engaging whenattracted to the depressed rim 10 of a guide-piece g, so as to supportthe valve 0 in raised position away from its seat when the currentpasses through the coil of the s0lenoid in one direction, while when thedirection of the said current is reversed the shorter pole 2 of themagnet c is attracted, while the end of the long pole 1 engages theouter edge of the guide-piece g, so that the valve can descend and cutoff the supply of gas. The body of the valve 0 is made either of squareshape, so as to provide spaces at each of its four sides providedwithlongitudinal grooves, or made smaller in diameter than the interiorbore of the solenoid, so as to permit the gas to pass freely to theburner when the valve is lifted. The current is supplied to the coil ofthe solenoid by means of suitable bindingsore Ws, by which the currententers and leaves the coil of the solenoid. After having passed throughthe coil the current flows through the insulated conductor is, thehelical resistance 1, and along a second insulated conductor theresistance Z being heated by the current so as to light the gas. Theconductors 1c 70 are supported on an insulated piece r, while anair-tight shell or cover 8 incloses all the working parts of the gaslighter and eXtin core or Valve 0 receives an opposite polarity to thelower end of the permanent magnet e" when the current enters through oneof the binding-screws. The result is that when the circuit isestablished and the current passes in this direction the soft-iron coreor valve is drawn in upward direction until inclosed by the greatestpossible number of lines of force, so that owing to the oppositepolarities of the adjacent poles of the core or valve 0 and thepermanent magnet e mutual attraction takes place, so as to cause thelonger end of the magnet to drop in and engage the inclined rim 10 andlock thereby the core or valve cinto raised position and prevent it fromreturning back to its seat 0 in the threaded socket b when the circuitis broken. On the other hand, when the circuit is established in theopposite direction the polarity of the soft-iron core or valve 0 isreversed, while that of the longer end of the permanent magnet remainsthe same as before, which owing to the adjacent poles being of the samepolarities mutual repulsion takes place between them and causes theshorter end of the magnet 6 by virtue of this force to be attracted andthe longer end to be moved outwardly, so as to clear the rim and permitthe core or valve 0 to drop back on its seat 0 and cut oil the supply ofgas. In place of the solenoid a horseshoe magnet may be used, betweenthe poles of which a permanent magnet is vibrated.

In Fig. 6 a modified construction is shown in which the permanent magnete is in the nature of a straight slightly-curved bar, the upper end ofwhich is made heavier than its lower end, said lower end being adaptedto engage a pin 2', having a conical enlargement or head 2 which isadapted to engage the lower end of the permanent magnet 6 when the valve0 is open. The valve 0 is thereby supported in raised or open positionand prevented from being returned to its seat, the distance at which thevalve is supported from its seat being governed by the distance of thehead 11' from the spindle (Z. As the pin 1' is located within therecessed upper end of the spindle (Z it also prevents the core or valvefrom turning on its axis orbeinglifted too high when the solenoid orelectromagnet is energized. The permanent magnet e produces, when thecurrent passes through the coil of the solenoid or electromagnet in onedirection, the raising of the valve and the locking of the same inraised position by the action of the permanent magnet on the headed pin2', so that the valve is prevented from falling back on its seat whenthe circuit is interrupted. lVhen, however, the direction of the currentis reversed, the permanentmagnet is caused to move in the oppositedirection by the consequent change of polarity which takes place in thesolenoid or electromagnet, so that the valve is permitted to drop backto its seat, as the permanent magnet has been deflected from the head'5, so as to clear all obstructions to its descent. The supply of gas isthereby automatically cut oil, while in both cases the resistance Z isheated to incandescence by the current, so as tolightthe gas suppliedthrough the open valve. In practice a two way switch, a duplicatepush-button, or any other suitable means may be employed for controlling the direction of the current when the circuit is closed, so as tolight the burner or extin guish the same, as required.

Having thus described our invent-ion, we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent- 1. In an electric gas lighter andextinguisher, the combination, with an electromagnet or solenoid, of anarmature or core adapted to be lifted by said solenoid or electromagnet,which core forms the gas-controlling valve, a permanent magnet that ispivotally applied to a spindle on said core 01' valve, and means forretaining the permanent magnet and the valve in lifted position when thecircuit is broken for supplying the gas, or releasing said magnet byreversing the direction of the current in said direction so as to permitthe valve to drop back to its seat for cutting oif the supply of gaswhen the circuit is again broken, substantially as set forth.

2. In an electric gas lighter and extinguisher, the combination, with.an electrtr magnet or solenoid, of an armature or core adapted to form agas-controlling valve, a gas-supply soeket,having a seat for said valve,a permanent magnet pivotally applied to a spindle on said core or valve,and means for engaging the permanent magnet and the valve in raisedposition when the current in the circuit has a given direction andretaining said valve in raised position when the circuit is broken, orreleasing said valve when the direction of the current in the saidcircuit is reversed so as to return it to its seat and ell'ect thecutting cit ot' the gas-s11 pply when the circuit is again broken,substai'itially as set forth.

3. In an electric gas lighter and extinguisher, the combination of anelectromagnet or solenoid, an armature or core adapted to form agascontrolling valve, a permanent magnet pivotally applied to a spindleon said core or valve, a resistance in the circuit of the coil of theelectromagnet or solenoid arranged close to the burner, and means forengaging the permanent magnet when the current in the circuit has agiven direction and retaining said valve in raised position when thecircuit is broken or releasing said valve when the direction of thecurrent is reversed so as to return the valve to its seat when thecircuit is again broken, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our invention we have signedour names in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES 'IARBOTTON AllMSll'RONG. AXllh ORLIXG.

lVitnesses:

E'rnnn GRANT, ARTHUR RYAN.

